Power line monitoring systems with communication components maintained at line voltage using modulated backscatter have been developed. However, these systems report only abnormal line conditions, such as faults or overload, or voltage sag conditions. In addition, the communication components maintained at line voltage are battery powered and located near the power lines, typically at high elevations on the power line towers or poles. Because changing the batteries is inconvenient and costly, these devices are configured to report only periodically or in response to abnormal line conditions in order to save battery power. Although more frequent or continuous reporting could be advantageous, the need to save battery power generally prevents conventional communication components maintained at line voltage from reporting more frequently or continuously.